The Sea Angel
by TygraSol
Summary: Kylo finds him self stranded on a secluded island of an unkown planet. He is convinced he's fated to die, disgraced and alone. But when a beautiful creature saves his life, he begins to realize maybe there's hope for him yet. The only explanation he can come up with is that the force has sent him an angel in his darkest hour. Could she be the key to saving his soul as well?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Please take note of the changes in this chapter. They are important. I have done something a bit unconventional and created my own language of sorts. There will be key words used throughout the story that are native to Rey's planet. This is obviously not canon compliant, but I thought it would be a fun spin on things, so here we are! I will make sure to reference any new terms at the bottom of their respective chapters as the story progresses. I will also make sure to add pronunciations as best as I can. I know what it sounds like when I use my own inflections, but sometimes it's a bit harder to translate in writing. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one! Please leave reviews! It helps me know which of my stories people are most interested in. I haven't updated some of my other fanfics in months because I'm trying to go by which ones seem to be more popular at the time. I am still working on all of them of course! But I really appreciate the feedback! Enjoy the story and happy fanfic-ing!

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 **Chapter One**

A loud crack erupted as smoke and flames filled the sky in a spectacular display. The ship was spinning out of control, plummeting towards the vast waters below. Kylo Ren struggled to gain control, but to no avail. Just before the ship hit the water, he activated the emergency ejection switch. He watched through the visor of his mask with a mix of terror and fascination as he floated into the air, the parachute cords swiftly jerking him away from the black metal crashing into the ocean below. A wave of relief washed over him as the breeze guided him away from the wreckage. The feeling didn't last long, however. His seat suddenly lurched sideways, causing the belt fastened around his waist to dig in painfully. He looked up to see a large tear in the fabric of the chute, and his heart skipped a beat. _Kriff_. A gust of wind ripped through it, further compromising the material and causing one of the cords to violently snap. Kylo went into a panic as the seat rapidly plunged to the sea. He grappled with the belt clip and managed to free himself just as he splashed into the cold, briny water. The fabric of his heavy cloak weighed him down, and he hastily worked to remove it, watching it sink lazily after the ejected seat and ruined parachute.

He turned towards the surface and began to swim upwards, but something caught him and dragged him deeper instead. He looked down and slowly registered that the snapped cord had entangled itself around his leg. He forced himself to stay still so he could think, though his entire body tensed, and his brain screamed in alarm. He could feel his pulse throbbing and his lungs were on fire. Saltwater was filling his mask, obscuring his vision. He needed to remove it, so he could better assess how the cord was wrapped around him. He lifted his gloved hands toward the release buttons on either side of his mask, but the mechanism refused to cooperate. The mask was stuck. He began to thrash wildly at the realization, trying to kick the cord away from him and return to the surface. That didn't work either. In one last, desperate move, he stretched out his arm and attempted to use the force to manipulate the cord and water around him. But he had already exhausted himself, and, no longer able to hold his breath, he began to aspirate, salt stinging his throat and nasal passages as the bitter liquid forced its way into his lungs. After another drawn out moment, Kylo stopped fighting all together.

So, this was it. This was how the master of the Knights of Ren would die. Not in combat. Not by some mortal enemy or one of his knights challenging him for his title and the power that came with it. Not even by the betrayal of _Hux_ , an inevitable act of treason that Kylo had long anticipated to someday come to pass, as much as the blithering idiot of a general and he openly loathed each other. No, _none_ of these things would kill one of the, arguably, most powerful dark force users in the galaxy. His death would not be honorable, or worthy of remembrance. Instead, he would succumb to the unforgiving nature of a _kriffing_ sea, on an unnamed, _force-forsaken_ planet, in the middle of _stars_ know where, because of a faulty engine and a damned _parachute_. And it was his own kriffing fault. He knew the ship had been undergoing maintenance and minor repairs. He could have chosen _any_ other number of TIE fighters to go after the traitor and Resistance pilot they had taken prisoner. But their escape had been unexpected, and actions had to be taken quickly if the First Order was going to secure the map that would lead them to Skywalker.

If Kylo was going to apprehend them, he would need to fly the _only_ aircraft he trusted. The Silencer. He knew his ship better than anyone else. So, he chose _not_ to heed the warnings that it wasn't ready for operation. A bitter, unwelcome thought passed through his mind in hindsight. _Like father, like son._ What irony, that the memories tying him to a past he'd worked so hard to break free from, would eventually come back to bite him in the ass in the most obscure way. Pride and arrogance for a flashy hunk of metal and technological parts. Of _course_ , that would be his vice. Ignoring the mechanic's advice had been his _first_ mistake. Attempting to jump to lightspeed to get ahead of the others and cut them off before they were planet side, had been his _second_. The navigation systems were all wrong. His coordinate readings were incorrect; an error of _gross_ miscalculations, and a _direct_ result of interrupting the recalibration being performed on his nav-computer. It was something he would have noticed was off, if he had even _bothered_ to follow proper pre-flight system checks. But, he _knew_ his ship, he thought, and he could fly her blindfolded if need be. Too much was at stake if he didn't capture that rebel scum and the rogue trooper. Aside from losing their _only_ lead to the vanished Jedi, Snoke's judgement would be unavoidable, and everyone was _well_ aware that his methods of punishment were _anything_ but merciful. That was the one thing that Hux and Kylo both agreed upon. Neither of them wanted to be the one to incur the Supreme Leader's wrath.

Alas, Kylo found himself almost wishing, even _preferring_ , that his life's end had come about at the hand of his own master, in light of his current predicament. His whole life had been defined by his fiery rage and uncontrollable temper. From the time he'd first started exhibiting sensitivity to the force, he'd struggled with the pull of the dark. Having two absentee parents only gave him more cause for resentment and anger. These were the qualities his family and peers had feared. The emotions that led to that fateful night at Luke's academy. His uncle's betrayal only made it easier to finally accept himself for who he truly was. And once he was set on his fated path, he found a new family. One who praised and encouraged his passionate qualities. Snoke had painstakingly molded him into the man he was today. He had shown him the truth about his gifts and gave him the chance to hone his dark powers. Everything Kylo did was with a white-hot intensity, and the searing blade he wielded could set entire villages alight. Yet, he wasn't burning in a blood-boiling inferno. Again, he found it painfully ironic, that instead of going up in the flames of a devastating explosion, he was drowning in freezing temperatures, sinking, down, down, down to a watery grave. His life would be doused out; extinguished until it was nothing but soaked ash; wet cement to bury his dark, miserable soul. As the stabbing sensation in his lungs began to ebb away, the underwater world around him started to fade into nothingness. His eyes were slipping closed, and a few, tiny bubbles escaped his mouth and nose, rising to the surface above where they dissipated into the foam of the surf. The last thing he saw through his murky mask, before everything went black, was a sudden flash of bronze and gold, shimmering in the water. He vaguely felt a tug on his boot; the one that was tethered by that cursed cord. Then, something soft, but firm, enveloped his torso and began to pull upward from underneath his arms. For a delirious moment, he thought he saw the radiant visage of an angel. A fleeting notion passed that he was being delivered to the afterlife in the arms of the angel of death herself. The idea strangely comforted him, and he almost smiled as he let go of consciousness and fell away into oblivion.

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The black creature was impossibly heavy. Rey gripped it as tightly as she could. She expertly maneuvered her tail and began propelling them both to the surface, but it was a daunting task that took all her strength and willpower. The sound of thunder had startled her, and when she first saw the strange pod falling from the sky, she thought it was some sort of meteorite. Meteors weren't an extremely rare occurrence here. But _this_ one, in particular, was especially strange. It was black, smooth, and shiny, like nothing she had ever seen. If that wasn't bizarre enough, she watched in awe as a smaller chunk of rock broke off from the comet, only to defy gravity and sail the wind, curving eastward, towards the porgs' Nesting Isle. That was her name for it, anyways. She swam near the island frequently, collecting seashells and other curious treasures along the shoreline and scattered reefs nearby. Today she had been exploring to the south of the island. She liked to float and look at the clouds, blissfully daydreaming as the waves swept her away with the current, this way and that. Before she had been jolted from her thoughts, she'd been resting her eyes, enjoying the sun's rays shining down as they kissed her freckled skin. A dark shadow suddenly eclipsed the warm light overhead, then was immediately followed by a deafening crack. The trees on the island shuddered slightly, and the waves swelled beneath her, stirring from the upset air. She soon realized the source wasn't a tempest beginning to rear its ugly head. That would have been far too predictable and boring. A falling _star_ , on the other hand, was much more exciting.

Rey was mesmerized by the sight; her curiosity overtaking any sensibility and caution she _should_ have felt in regard to the foreign object streaking towards her. But Rey had never been very sensible to begin with. Had she been raised in a pod with other myrlings, she would have been taught all about the dangers of this world and what lies beyond. But Rey was the last of her kind, and she only had the creatures of the ocean to keep her company. Having been alone most of her life, Rey viewed everything with a childlike sense of wonder and excitement. Of course, she wasn't completely alone. Her best and only friend was not so dissimilar from herself. Except that it looked nothing like her. And it couldn't talk. But it was her friend, nonetheless, and had been with her since she was very young and had lost her family. And she was content to have one-sided conversations with her otherwise spirited companion. She flourished from the bond they shared, despite her tragic circumstances. But what Rey _really_ thrived on was spontaneity and adventure. Exploring and discovering new things were the essence of her being, and she was never one to back down or cower in fear of the unknown. Perhaps her inquisitiveness would one day be the death of her, but what better way to die than embracing the thrill of danger and mystery? She was getting a close-up view of an _actual_ meteorite. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and she'd be _damned_ if she didn't take the chance to thoroughly investigate.

The metal craft crashed into the water, sending a wide spray in her direction. It creaked and groaned as it slowly submerged. Rey momentarily forgot the smaller mass, unsteadily riding a light draft in the distance, as she enthusiastically dove underwater to get a better look at the sinking wreckage. There was a gentle slope that reached a small drop off near the island's beach, but the ocean floor wasn't _too_ deep, only about 50 meters or so. She easily reached the pod as it landed on the bottom with a muted thud, sending up a soft cloud of sand when it settled. Tentatively, Rey reached out to touch it. The metal was warm. She noticed an unusual opening in the middle of the asteroid-esque shape. There was a see-through dome that had been cracked open like a clam shell. Inside the opening was what appeared to be some sort of rock burrow, like the ones she'd often seen along the larger reefs where eels would lay in wait for their prey. But this burrow had peculiar formations that, from afar, _might_ resemble a coral colony with barnacles here and there, but up close, looked _nothing_ of the kind. Rey found herself entranced by the blinking lights that lit up the small space.

She was so lost in the wonder of it all that she almost didn't register the other piece of the meteorite that had broken below the surf. She detected a faint, pulsating ripple in the water, drawing her attention towards the _moving_ rock. She squinted for a moment, trying to make out what she was seeing. An enormous jellyfish was wrapped around it, drifting towards the edge of the drop off several meters away. But it wasn't _really_ a jellyfish, was it? And chunks of rock certainly didn't move of their own accord. At least, not in _her_ experience. She slowly approached, newly intrigued by the odd spectacle. She was still a good distance from it when she saw bubbles floating up around what she now realized was a black _creature_ , wrestling with something. She froze, taking heed of the warning bells sounding in her head for the first time since she noticed the meteor in the sky. The creature looked large and rather menacing. Its face was black and silver, sleek and hard like the main part of the meteorite burrow. And its flesh was just as dark, though part of it seemed to billow outwards, like some sort of strangely winged bird. Her eyes widened as she watched it shed its oddly shaped wings. What was it? How did it get here? Was the burrow its nest, then? She was hesitant to get any closer. Exploring a fallen star was one thing, but coming across a _living creature_? For all she knew, it was a vicious predator that could attack her if she got within tail's reach. But she could not bring herself to turn away from it either. Whatever it was, it had clearly traveled a great distance, and it was in trouble.

The voice of reason in her mind was telling her to leave it alone and get far, far away. But then something made her heart stop. The creature was clawing at the sides of its face. It yanked at one of its appendages desperately, and it suddenly dawned on Rey that it was stuck and had been trying to free itself from the " _not_ -a-jellyfish". And then, it suddenly stopped. It stopped struggling. It stopped moving. It stopped _breathing_. The creature needed air; it was dying. Rey bit her lip and furrowed her brow as she debated what to do. If she could get the creature to the surface, she could swim to the island and hopefully save it in time. But, it could still be a dangerous beast that might try to kill her. If she did nothing, the creature would surely die. She wasn't sure if she could live with the knowledge that she allowed _anything_ to die, period. But she had no way of knowing whether or not this dark being meant any harm. Again, the part of her conscience controlled by her brain told her not to take the risk, but something in her heart was nagging at her, nudging her to spring into action. She shook her head and pushed her fears aside, making the split-second decision to rush forward and attempt to free the fading lifeform. Rey refused to think about the possible repercussions of what she was about to do. Despite all logic and reason, she _knew_ she couldn't let the creature die without trying her best to save it.

She shot through the water and immediately set to work, untangling the tentacle wrapped around the creature's lower limb. She successfully detached the cord, then wrapped her arms around the dark body, hooking her elbows underneath two upper limbs. With more than a little difficulty, they began their ascent to the surface. It took her only a few more minutes to reach the shoreline with the creature. She awkwardly dragged it as far out of the water as she could, slithering unnaturally along the sand with her cumbersome tail. She was out of breath by the time she was done, but once she was satisfied that it was far enough away from the water so that the tide would pull it back into the current, she began to inspect its body for injuries and any sign of life. The first thing she noticed was its face. Something didn't seem quite right about it. She paused for a moment, then timidly tapped at it. As she had suspected, it was just like the burrow rock. But, something flashed pale between the face and the rest of the creature's rough, black skin. She leaned in closer and carefully poked it. It felt… fleshy. It was wearing skin over its skin? That didn't make sense. Rey felt around its neck and found an edge where the flesh underneath was separated from what she now assumed was a shell protecting its face. Her fingers slid smoothly across the metal until something on either side gave way at her touch. She jerked back as the metal softly clicked and hissed. It shifted around the mouth and Rey held her breath. She didn't know what to make of this creature. She was nervous to prod at it more, but she couldn't tell if it was still breathing or not, the outer layer of skin was so thick and heavy. She closed her eyes and felt around the metal once more. It seemed to have loosened up, so she tried tugging on it. Water spilled out as it slid up over the creature's head, and Rey gasped when she opened her eyes and looked at its face.

The creature was… a _eumyn_?! Rey blinked several times. Eumyns had not come to this planet in eons. Rey had thought they were a myth. Yet, here, lying before her in the wet sand, was a very large, very _real_ eumyn. She leaned in to get a closer look. Dark hair covered its face. Its pale skin was a stark contrast to the rest of it. She noticed a few dark spots dotted here and there like mapped out constellations. The eumyn's lips were full and they looked so soft. They were also _blue_. Rey began to panic. It wasn't breathing. She had never encountered another being so similar to her before, but, despite its resemblance to her, _eumyns_ were not _myrlings_ , and she had no idea how to help. She had a tail and could hold her breath underwater for extended periods of time. The eumyn clearly _didn't_ have a tail and _couldn't_ hold its breath like she could. She frantically scanned the rest of its body. How could she even _begin_ to search for a pulse with all this extra skin covering it? She felt around in an attempt to peel more off. She pulled at the wet layers of its chest and managed to find some rough edges to tug apart. The tough skin resisted, but she soon had the eumyn stripped of the outermost covering. There was another layer of black underneath, but it was thinner at least, and she eventually had its arms exposed up to the shoulders. She hovered her palms above the eumyn nervously, her hands trembling as she visually searched its arms, neck and chest, hoping to see a pulse in the same places she knew she would find one on herself. She apprehensively squeezed a wrist but couldn't be sure that she wasn't feeling her _own_ blood flowing through her fingers. She refocused her efforts on tilting its head back, as it had slumped to the side, in an attempt to keep the airway clear. _Stars_ , what was she going to do?! She clamped her eyes shut, willing herself to stop shaking and think. If she couldn't _feel_ a pulse, perhaps she could _hear_ one. Gingerly, she leaned down and pressed her ear to the eumyn's broad chest. She held her breath and listened. _There_. It was faint. So very _faint_. But there _was_ a heartbeat. She sighed in relief.

There was no time to waste, though. It still wasn't breathing, and she could tell its heart was slowing dangerously with each passing second. Rey anxiously wrung her hands. She couldn't imagine how much water it had taken in. Maybe she could turn it on its side and the water could drain out on its own? She began to roll it over, significantly struggling, but managing with desperate determination nonetheless. How could _one_ eumyn be so incredibly hard to move? Not that she'd had _any_ experience with this sort of thing. She finally got it turned onto its side and scooted herself around to face it. Nothing happened. She tried to remember if there was ever a time where she couldn't breathe, and what she had done to remedy the situation. She recalled nearly choking on a fish bone once, when she was a much younger myrling. She had missed it when she'd first cleaned a fish she'd caught. She was still learning how to properly debone them. The missed fragment lodged itself in her throat and she remembered the painful feeling as her eyes began to water and she desperately gasped for air. Forcing herself to cough hadn't worked, so she began hitting her chest. After a few blows, the bone dislodged and flew out of her mouth. She could try to hit the eumyn's chest then. She frowned. The position it was now in made it impossible for her to properly do this, as its arm had fallen limply across its chest. She would have to try hitting it from behind instead. Annoyed by her lack of foresight and proficiency, Rey pulled herself behind the eumyn once again, quietly cursing and wishing her tail was _not_ a tail at the moment. She had sunbathed many times on the beach before, and she knew when she was fully dry, her tail would transform into scrawny looking limbs similar to her arms. But it took time for the sun to dry her enough and she didn't know how to use the foreign limbs well anyway.

Rey balled her hand into a tight fist and swung hard at the eumyn's back, just between its shoulder blades. It didn't move. She tried again, willing herself to swing harder. The second blow did as much good as the first. She began to tear up. The eumyn was going to die after all, and it was _her_ fault that she couldn't save it. Her whole body was trembling with fear. This couldn't be how the poor creature's life ended. Not like _this_. All alone on a secluded island with nobody to mourn for it… except her. A terrible, clumsy rescuer. No. She couldn't let it die like this. She _refused_ to let that happen. She raised her fist one more time. She would do whatever she had to, to keep the eumyn alive. She cried out to the Deiyses, begging them for mercy as she slammed her fist into its back with all her might. She suddenly felt something stir within her, like a power that had laid dormant until this very moment. And then… the eumyn _coughed_. It choked and sputtered as water gushed out of its mouth and nose. It was breathing! Rey fell back into the sand, tears still filling her eyes. But now they were there for a different reason. She cried and laughed at the same time, then thanked the Deiyses profusely, promising to offer them the best sacrifice she could give, whatever they may ask of her. The eumyn began to stir, and she suddenly realized she was terrified of how it would react when it awoke. She began crawling towards the water as quickly as possible. She turned back to face the eumyn only after she was enveloped by the warm comfort of the sea. Its breathing had steadied now, but its eyes were still closed. She sighed in relief. It was sleeping. Perhaps that was for the best. It needed to rest, and she wasn't so sure she was ready for it to see her just yet.

Rey looked up at the sky. The sun was making its steady descent below the horizon. There wasn't much daylight left. Her stomach growled at her. She felt exhausted and needed to eat. The eumyn would need food too, once it woke up. Rey decided there was no use staring at a sleeping creature for _stars_ knew how long. She would stay close in case its condition changed, but she might as well busy herself gathering a proper meal for the both of them. There wasn't much else she could do at this point other than wait. She glanced at the eumyn once more before dipping below the waters and making her way towards a nearby reef where schools of fish would still be swimming about. If she was lucky, she might even find a patch of seaweed. But not just any patch of seaweed. There was a particular kind that only grew in small amounts around the island. It was unusually _sweet_ , despite the salty environment it grew in. But she would have to hurry, before the other ocean animals inevitable discovered the rare treat before she did. She sped through the water like a trained missile, focused on her next task. The eumyn was going to live, and Rey was going to make sure it was taken care of. She smiled at the thought of being useful for once. Even with all the life in this world, she had felt alone her entire life. Such was the curse of being the last of your kind. But the creature was technically now the last of its kind too. And it, like her, was all alone. Maybe now, they wouldn't have to be.

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 **Chapter Terminology**

Myrlings (mer-lings) = merpeople*

Eumyn (yoo-min) = human

Deiyses (day-ee-sees) = gods**

*Notes about Myrlings: These are not like the typical mermaids we see in most fictional works, though they do have many similarities inspired by various depictions. The short term for myrling is simply myr (mer). As you've guessed by now, the words in this story are a part of Rey's ancestral tongue. She was raised bilingually, though she does consider Basic to be her native language. For this story, the myrling language is known as Myrlik (mer-lick). I wanted to go ahead and bring these extra terms up, so you are already familiar with them once they come into play later on.

**Notes about Deiyses: The myrlings have a much more primitive, simplistic view of the force. As such, there are legends of powerful beings that were, essentially, the original myrlings. A Star Wars-y "Adam and Eve", so to speak. The myrlings would have most certainly viewed these powerful beings as gods. So that is what they have become in myrling culture. There are two other forms of the term Deiyses. Deiys (day-ees) is the singular term for god, and Deiysa (day-ee-sah) is the singular term for goddess. You will learn more about this "Adam and Eve" pair later on in the story. It will play an integral part in the plot. *vague hint winky face*


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I have moderately edited chapter one and strongly advise you to reread through it, as the changes I've made are very important to the storyline. I also introduced the concept of a new language for this particular fanfic. I gave details about it in the edit, but for those reading ahead, I'll do a quick recap. Rey's planet has their own native language, though she does mostly speak Basic. Being as this is a purely made up language on my part, I've written all terms that will be used, with their respective pronunciations, at the bottom of each chapter in which they are first introduced. I did consider putting the definitions before the start each chapter but felt that might give too much of the plot away before you as the reader have reached that point. Of course, that could be subject to change in the future if I find it's more beneficial to give you the pronunciations beforehand. As always, I appreciate any feedback on how to better improve my writing. Enjoy the chapter and happy fanfic-ing!

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 **Chapter Two**

Kylo woke to the sound of crashing waves and the smell of brine and fish. His brain almost instantly went into sensory overload as he lay motionless, his eyes closed and his head throbbing. Every pain receptor in his body seemed to be registering the tell-tale signs that he was alive, albeit barely. But Kylo couldn't seem to grasp that realization yet. He was only half-conscious, in a state of shock. His entire body was sore. He felt cold. He was lying on his side, on a damp, coarse surface. After a long moment, he attempted to swallow and immediately started coughing. His throat was raw; his vocal chords rubbed together like sandpaper. He tried to move his fingers. They felt numb. It was strange, feeling anything at all. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was the burning sensation in his nose, throat, and lungs. And his heart painfully constricting in his chest. The agony began to ebb after he let go and let it wash over him. And then… nothing. He had blacked out and died. Yes. That was the only thing that could have happened. He was dead, and wherever he was now must be the hellish afterlife he'd been damned to. His physical body was on the bottom of a forgotten ocean somewhere, and his soul was in some strange version of purgatory. But… if he were truly dead… then why could he still feel his body? Why was he able to move his fingers? And what the _kriff_ was he feeling on his lips right now? He reflexively licked them. They were dry and cracked and something grainy now stuck to the roof of his mouth…

Kylo's eyes shot open as he spat out the bitter sand. _Disgusting!_ The first thing he saw as his eyes adjust to his surrounding was the water, gently lapping at the shoreline several feet away. He sat up, far too quickly, and the world began to spin around him, causing his stomach to churn violently. He doubled over and groaned, clutching at his temples, which were now being stabbed by some invisible force. Sharp colors flashed across his vision as he dry heaved. It was only once the gagging stopped and the throbbing in his head dulled that he realized something was missing. Where was his mask? He ran his fingers down his face before staring blankly at them. And his gloves? He looked around. Half of his clothes had been cast off, strewn along the wet sand beside him. He was still wearing his undershirt, pants, and boots. He moved his toes as the numbing of his nerves subsided, giving way to an uncomfortable tingling sensation. His feet were soaked, and the squishy feeling made him cringe inwardly. He tugged at the laces and started removing his boots. First, his left one plopped to the sand. Then, the right. The socks underneath chafed at his legs. He peeled them off. Sand immediately found its way between his toes. _Gross_. Kylo hated sand. _Kriff_ , how he hated sand. He pushed himself up onto his knees, pacing himself to stave off any further lightheadedness and nausea as he cautiously rose to his feet. Once he was standing, granted he felt weak and unsteady, he took in purposefully slow breaths and scanned the horizon. No sign of his downed ship anywhere. _Of course not. As if I'd ever be so lucky._ He closed his eyes and frowned, attempting to formulate a plan as to what to do next.

But his attention was soon turned to a crackling sound somewhere behind him as he fruitless tried to clear his mind. He opened his eyes again and turned around. He raised his brows in surprise. Just a bit further up the beach and away from the water was a small fire. The soft light flickered with warm, inviting flames. There was something on the ground near the fire. He stumbled towards it to get a better look. It appeared to be some sort of bark, from a nearby tree perhaps. On top of the bark lay raw fish that had been sliced and deboned. And something dark and leafy next to that. There were also a couple of oyster shells that had been cracked open and arranged neatly next to the fish. Strange. _Someone else has been here._ He froze as the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end. Whoever it was, they were _still_ here, and they were very close. He could sense they were watching. Instinctively, he reached for the saber clipped to his belt. He was still wearing it, and his hand easily found the hilt. He swiftly drew it in front of him and ignited the red beam, then spun around, searching the tree line, then the beach, before his gaze landed on a large boulder several yards away. He narrowed his eyes, still adjusting to the dark as he began his approach. It only took a few seconds to find what he was looking for. A pair of wide, sparkling eyes and soft, dark waves were peeking out from behind the rock, just enough to give the being that owned them away. Kylo tensed up, increasing his pace until he was sprinting across the sand towards whoever was stalking him. They suddenly ducked down and disappeared behind the rock, so he raised his free arm and yelled forcefully as he dashed past it.

"HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Kylo came to an abrupt halt once he reached the other side of the boulder and saw her. It was hard to see well, as dark as it was. But the moonlight softly lit her features, just enough to make out that she was, in fact, a girl. Her long hair flowed gently in the breeze, tendrils swirling about her face. She sat back in the sand, her arms propping her up as she looked up at him with vibrant eyes. He could practically _feel_ her heart racing as her chest rose and fell in time with her shallow breaths. She was… _beautiful_. And naked. _Very_ naked. Kylo blinked as heat began to flush his cheeks. He lifted his eyes skyward for a moment as he inhaled sharply, becoming aware of his own increasing pulse. Then, slowly, he lowered his gaze back to her, taking particular care to keep his focus only on her eyes. His brows furrowed in puzzlement. Surely _this_ was not the creature who had saved him. She was tiny and thin. Such a fragile little thing. But, he knew he didn't end up on the beach, partially undressed near a lit fire, on his own. And she was the only other person in the vicinity, as far as he could tell. Still, if she was here, then perhaps there were others. Maybe he could convince her to help him find a way off this planet. First, he needed to find out who she was, and get her to tell him _where_ they were. He could tell she was frightened, but he couldn't risk letting her go without getting information. So, he took another deep breath, making a conscious effort to ease his rigid stance. He then took a tentative step forward, hand still outstretched towards her, and tried to speak in a gentle tone, something that was very foreign to him. His voice was still raw and breathy.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?"

Kylo saw the visible change in her wide, round eyes as she stared at him silently, her fear quickly giving way to confusion before melting into a strange, mesmerizing sensation he struggled to name. He observed her with bated breath as she seemed to be deciphering his words. He was unsure what to make of her. The emotion emanating from her was almost… a marveling sort of inquisitiveness. This girl had _no_ idea who he was. And she gawked at him as though she'd never seen another human being before. Did she even understand Basic? Something deep within him beckoned him to draw closer. He couldn't explain the nonsensical desire he had to reach out and brush his fingers across her cheek. As if to be sure she was real. He slanted his head, perplexed by his muddled thoughts. She mirrored his movement, which only piqued his curiosity even more. What sort of bewitchment was this? Did she feel it too? He lowered his arms and switched off his saber before slowly kneeling to the ground. He paused once he was almost eye level with her, searching her face for any sign of wariness. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off. His eyes never left hers as he set the weapon down on the damp sand. She unexpectedly began to lean towards him, catching him off guard as he drank in her highlighted features under shimmering moonbeams. She truly was a stunning sight to behold. His lips parted, but he struggled to find his voice again. Kriff, what the _force_ was happening to him? He couldn't think straight, and his breathing was getting more ragged by the second. This was _not_ how the Master of the Knights of Ren conducted himself. The Supreme Leader would be _repulsed_ by such a shameful display. He needed to end this absurd insanity right _now_. He couldn't afford to let these unnatural sensations get the better of him. He needed this girl's help to get off this damn rock.

Kylo willed his palpitating heart and bursting lungs to slow down, centering himself in the force as he focused on the task at hand. But before he could bring the overwhelming onslaught of maddening emotions under control, he was unceremoniously shaken from his thoughts by the loud, incessant screeching of something to the side of him, near the large rock. His survival reflexes kicked in, and he instinctively grabbed his saber, whipping towards the sound with calculated precision. A plump, slick looking creature with long webbed flippers was vigorously bobbing its head and barking at him. Its behavior could have been interpreted as territorial. A sea mammal simply defending its marked domain. But Kylo swore there was a predatory gleam in this creature's soulless eyes. They were like twin blackholes, waiting for anything to get too close for them to devour. The animal growled aggressively as it began to galumph towards him. Kylo sprang towards the boulder, prepared for a fight, and activated his saber. The red beam sputtered to life for a few seconds before going out completely. _Kriff_. He hit the hilt with his palm, but nothing happened. _Kriff_ , _kriff_ , _kriff_! As if the revelation that he was now exposed and vulnerable wasn't enough, matters got rapidly worse.

A secondary sound alerted him that the girl was on the move. Just as he heard a loud splash behind him, the dumb beast that was currently charging him _miraculously_ lost interest and changed course, retreating awkwardly back to wherever it had come from. A sinking feeling settled heavily in the pit of Kylo's stomach as he spun around to face the girl again. Sure enough, to his despair, she was gone. _Kriffing_ _force_! He frantically searched the ocean waters for her. In the distance, he caught a glimpse of her wet tresses glistening against the night's pale light.

"NO, WAIT! COME BACK!"

He cried out in desperation, hoping she could hear him, but it was no use. She was too far away now. How on Hoth had she even managed to swim at such an incredulous speed?! He barely had time to process what had just happened, when she dove beneath the waves and he saw something that convinced him he was _surely_ going mad. A grand, majestic tail rose above the surf. Luminously golden scales sparkled like precious jewels as the swooping fin fluttered, before elegantly vanishing into the depths of the sea. Kylo stood slack jawed, unable to move, or even blink as all coherent thought shattered into abstract oblivion. When he was finally able to unglue himself from where he stood, he pitifully slumped down against the rock that he was beginning to feel was a physical manifestation; an actual barrier wedging him firmly between itself and an invisible hard place… presumably some twisted, sadistic will of the force. He didn't remain in this state for more than a few seconds, however, as gooseflesh began to spread along his arms and at the back of his neck. Kylo could feel hot breath against his nape. He tried igniting his blasted saber again, but it offered no help, not even a spark of hope. He closed his eyes and attempted to draw upon the force around him, but everything felt sporadic and wrong. It was like the very presence of this awful _blob_ was draining the force out of everything. Of course, that made no sense. Having nearly died and been pushed beyond his limits of exhaustion, Kylo simply couldn't muster up the energy to wield his powers. His concentration was off because of everything he'd witnessed that day. Some _master_ he was. It didn't matter now anyways. After all, he was as good as dead without the girl. _That_ , he was almost certain of.

"I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way then."

Kylo said it more as an attempt to bolster his resolve than anything else. He exhaled wearily and turned to face the dreaded beast head on. It stared him down with those demon eyes, flaring its nostrils as its lips curled back into a snarl. It was practically touching him, standing commandingly on top of the weathered formation as though it were a warrior's pedestal. They were flipper to shoulder, locked in an intense battle of wills. Kylo refused to back down and show fear to such a primitive lifeform. And yet, his pulse fluctuated with wild abandon, and beads of sweat lined his brow, threatening to be his undoing if he so much as flinched. They continued to scowl at one another, slipping into a concentrated holding pattern for what Kylo imagined to be ages. In reality, hardly any time had passed at all. And then, something shifted, and the Sithspawn seemed to accept that they had reached an impasse. Without warning, it stuck out its tongue and emphatically blew air directly in his face, sending spittle flying everywhere. Kylo jerked back and grimaced in disgust, harshly wiping the slobber off his skin. The cursed thing had the audacity to taunt him one last time, barking at him in a manner that resembled contemptuous laughter, before leaping off his platform and waddling his way into the wet briny haven that would separate man from beast. Kylo didn't bother to glance its way. At this point, the only thing he had energy left to do was to stagger his way back to the small campfire and do his best to stomach the raw, probably sandy, and bitter-tasting form of substance the girl had apparently scrounged up in consideration of him. He didn't even want to _begin_ trying to sort out all the complex, inconceivable, jumbled thoughts that had turned his brain to mush concerning her. No. He was done for the night. Eat. Pass out. Reassess his situation in the morning. Nothing else would distract him until he had accomplished those things. Unfortunately, as he finally collapsed by the dwindling flames, he came to one last, infuriating realization.

 _That filthy bastard at my kriffing meal… I'm gonna kill it... and then roast it over the fire._

The fire smoldered until it was nothing but ash and embers. Kylo Ren fell into a restless sleep, hunger pains gnawing at him as he shivered on the unforgiving sand. He loathed sand with a burning passion. Reality bled into his nightmares, but somewhere in the midst of his misery, a warm light pulled at him, giving him the tiniest shred of hope that he might still make it out of this alive. And she was beautiful.

* * *

 **xXxXxXx**

* * *

Rey fell back on her rear and tried to move towards the water. She'd been observing the eumyn from the safety of the rock, waiting to see when it would wake. After she'd gathered food, she managed to pull herself along the beach and set up a fire. It had been quite tricky, finding strips of bark and twigs nearby that were dry enough to stay lit. But she was bound and determined to provide whatever she could to help the eumyn's recovery. Once she'd set everything up, she took a few moments to stare at the strange creature. Its features were striking. She couldn't keep her eyes from wandering over its muscular form. But after a while, it still hadn't stirred, and she began to grow impatient. She'd already been on the beach for too long. Her tail had long ago transformed into the awkward limbs that looked just like the eumyn's, though its limbs were still covered in that dark skin that was layered over the paler, softer flesh beneath. Its breathing changed after a while longer. Rey hesitated as the eumyn began to slowly stir. She held her breath and panicked, unsure of whether she should stay there or distance herself. After all, she still had no idea who this eumyn was or how it would react to her once it woke. The best thing to do was hide, she decided, until the time was right to make her presence known. So, she half crawled, half dragged herself behind the large boulder, close enough to the water where she could make a quick escape if need be, but not so far that she couldn't still observe the odd creature. As always, her curiosity found a loophole to override her fear and logic. As long as she stayed out of sight and had access to the ocean, she would be safe.

She was now realizing how stupid and reckless an idea that was. She had been behind the rock for about ten minutes, when everything went wrong. The eumyn had taken its time to fully wake up and get its bearings after she'd distanced herself from it. She watched inquisitively as it peeled off the hard, black shells that encased its lower limbs. And then, when it finally discovered the fire and her offering of food, the eumyn quickly become aware that it wasn't alone. That realization prompted it to grab a peculiar looking object from its side. Rey silently gasped as whatever it was suddenly came to life with brilliant fire. It was fascinating. Rey had never seen a stick that could hold _fire_. And for it to ignite in the blink of an eye was mindboggling to her. Rey had an irrational urge to get closer, so she could reach out and touch it. She was jolted from her wonderment, however, when the eumyn suddenly whipped its head in her direction and trained its sharp gaze on her. Rey's heart skipped a beat and, remembering herself, she ducked behind the boulder, falling gracelessly to the ground. It was yelling angrily now, and she began to scramble backwards towards the safety of the water, but her damned limbs refused to cooperate as she shuffled clumsily in the sand. The eumyn rounded the rock and came into full view. Before she had time to process what was happening, it raised its arm towards her with an outstretched hand, the other hand still holding the fiery flame. Rey looked at the menacing creature with large, frightened eyes. She tried to move back, but she felt so paralyzed, it was as if something was physically preventing her from doing so. The eumyn stared at her for what felt like forever, studying her, considering her, before slowly relaxing its shoulders a bit and taking a single step towards her.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?"

The eumyn's voice was deep and hoarse, but strangely calm. Rey held her breath, unsure of what to do, her heart still racing. The creature watched her intently, as though it were just as baffled by her as she was by it. It tilted its head to the side and she, for reasons unknown, followed suit. Rey wondered what it must be thinking. The eumyn extinguished the ethereal fire and started to crouch down to her level with hesitant eyes, expectant and waiting as it stopped and hovered just a few feet away from her. Was it asking for permission to come closer? It placed the stick that held fire on the ground, never breaking eye contact. She found herself subconsciously leaning forward a little, and its dark eyes widened in response. It opened its mouth to speak to her again, and she couldn't help but take note of how soft and full its lips looked in the moonlight. It was breathing unevenly, eyes darting about as it appeared to be sorting through its thoughts, looking for the right one. She waited patiently for the curious creature to figure out what it wanted to say. But before any more words could be exchanged between them, a familiar sound reached her ears. The eumyn snapped its head to the side, snatched up the fire stick, and jumped back to its feet in one fluid movement. Rey startled at the sudden shift in its demeanor. It took a moment for her to come to her senses, but when she realized the distraction was intentional, she quickly seized the opportunity to lunge into the sea and swim away as fast as she could. The eumyn called out after her, but she was already a long way from shore by the time it realized she'd escaped.

Her heart was pounding wildly, adrenaline rushing through her veins like the crashing waves. Staying nearby had been a terrible idea. Rey silently cursed herself for not being more careful. This was not how she intended their first meeting to go. She had somehow managed to upset the strange creature without even opening her mouth to speak. Maybe it hadn't yet realized she was helping. It was probably still disoriented and confused. It certainly seemed surprised once it saw her up close. But there was something else about it too. Something stirred within her, an invisible force softly nudging her towards the eumyn. She had no idea why, but she wanted to find out more. A bad first impression wouldn't deter her from trying again. If it hadn't been for her troublemaking _friend_ , perhaps they would have been able to communicate and come to an understanding. Rey rolled her eyes as a recognizable form swam up beside her. She turned her head to glare and push an irritated thought at the Sylkiee.

 _I was doing just fine without you, silly beast. You ruined everything!_

It stared at her with soulful, obsidian eyes, then stuck its tongue out at her, blowing bubbles in her direction. Rey pursed her lips and scrunched her nose.

 _Whatever. You're absolutely impossible sometimes, you know that?_

The Sylkiee spun around as they swam, circling her like an orbiting planet, still blowing, creating a wide ring of bubbles that quickly rose to the surface above. Rey's lip quirked slightly as she shook her head in resignation.

 _What am I ever going to do with you, cheeky boy?_

The playful creature glided through the water, drawing close to her once more. He stopped barely inches away from her face, leaning in to press his nose to hers. His eyes were mischievous and filled with feigned penitence all at once. Rey couldn't hold back her smile any longer.

 _Oh, alright… I forgive you. But let my handle myself next time. Ok? I'm going back tomorrow. And don't you try to talk me out of it. That creature needs help. It almost died and has no idea where it is. It doesn't know the island like I do. You could show a little more compassion towards it, Bash._

"Bash", as Rey called him, stared stoically through her, though she swore she saw one of his eyes, and possibly a whisker, twitch disapprovingly. But _she_ was the greater authority between them, and she asserted her role as such, despite him constantly testing her boundaries and patience. She wasted no time reprimanding him with a stern warning.

 _Bash… I'm serious! Don't be mean, or I won't collect coconuts for you anymore. I_ know _they're your favorite treat. I mean it, Bash. Don't test me on this._ Be. Nice. _Otherwise, good luck figuring out how to shake them out of the trees_ without _me. Do you understand?_

Those black eyes continued to study her skeptically, but Bash eventually huffed a string of bubbles with flared nostrils, reluctantly yielding to Rey's request. However, before Rey could seal their agreement with a friendly embrace, he quickly spread his whiskers and puffed out his cheeks, then forcefully blew a raspberry in her face before rocketing up like a missile to the open air above. Rey sputtered and shook her head in a pointless effort to expel the saltwater from her nasal passages. She quickly raced after him, only _partly_ annoyed by his rascally antics.

 _Aev ta Deiysa! Get back here, naughty little_ imp _!_

They jumped in and out of the water, chasing and teasing each other playfully until they grew tired and decided to float on their backs, so they could view the deep, starry sky. It wasn't long before they began to sleepily drift, and when they were too exhausted to stay awake any longer, they reluctantly made their way to a nearby grotto; the place Rey called home. Bash yawned, lazily lounging on a rocky ledge that was half submerged in the cave's moonlit pool. Rey took up her space beside him, stretching out and letting out her own yawn as she drowsily rested her head against his soft belly. The sun would rise soon enough to usher in a new day, and Rey would try to approach the strange creature again. She would figure out a way to let it know that she wasn't a threat and only meant to help it. But for now, the moon still hung high above them, and she would close her eyes and rest peacefully, with entrancing dreams of mysterious meteors and mystical fire dancing in her head.

* * *

 **xXxXxXx**

* * *

 **Chapter Terminology**

Sylkiee (sel-key) = selkie*

Aev ta (ave-tah) Deiys/Deiysa/Deiyses = By/of the god/goddess/gods

*Notes about Sylkiee: First of all, I'd like to admit that I'm a sacrilegious nerd who couldn't resist adding that extra "e" on the end so it bares a not so subtle resemblance to Wookiee. Maybe you'll hate me for it, or maybe you'll love it, but what's done is done and I'm not taking it back! So… ha! Writer's prerogative! Alright, now that I've gotten _that_ off my chest… on to the _actual_ notes. Sylkiees (sel-keys) are the plural form of these creatures, which are obviously based off of the selkies we read about in various folklore. Again, you will see many similarities, though there will be differences as well, that fall in line with the idea that "magic" and "the force" are one in the same… for the most part. The short form of sylkiee is sylk (selk). If I'm annoying you with all the extra pronunciation parentheses, sorry, but I'm borderline OCD about stuff like that and I like to be thorough so… you'll get over it… _eventually_.

There's really not much more to say about this chapter, except, I _really_ love Bash. He's my BB-8 equivalent and he's got some _serious_ attitude. He doesn't actually replace BB-8 though, because I wrote this with the premise that Kylo was chasing down Poe and Finn to find BB-8 and the map. So, Bash is a completely original character, while still heavily being inspired by some SW favorites. You might see some Chewie-like mannerisms manifest in him, or maybe a bit of Luke, Han, or Artoo. But, when all is said and done, Bash is his own Sylkiee, a one of a kind, rascally, lovable companion. You will be seeing a _lot_ of him from here on out, so, _definitely_ get excited about that! Don't forget to leave a review!


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